Accession No

0787

Brief Description

magnetic azimuth dial, by Charles Bloud, French, 3/4 17th Century

Origin

France; Dieppe

Maker

Bloud, Charles

Class

dials

Earliest Date

1650

Latest Date

1675

Inscription Date

Material

ivory; metal (brass, silvered brass, steel, silver); glass; rope (string)

Dimensions

Special Collection

Robert Whipple collection

Provenance

Purchased in Brussels in 10/1935.

Inscription

‘Fait et Invente par Charles Bloud ADieppe’

Description Notes

Ivory tablets held together by brass hinges. Decorated border on each face.
Leaf Ia: equinoctial dial divided 1 - 12, 1 - 12, numbered by 1, subdivided to 15 minutes. Polar dial divided 8 - 12, 1 - 4, numbered by 1. Pin gnomon missing.
Leaf Ib: southern half of equinoctial dial divided as before, with central silver lunar volvelle with lunar age and inner disc revealing graphical representation of moon’s phase. Latitude scale on RHS divided 0 - 80˚, numbered by 10˚, 0 - 50 subdivided to 1˚, 50 - 80 subdivided to 5˚.
Leaf IIa: horizontal dial for 50˚ N with hour scale divided 4 - 12, 1 - 8, numbered by 1, subdivided to 30 minutes. Inset compass with hand-coloured paper card printed from engraved plate; degree scale divided 0 - 90˚ - 0 - 90˚ - 0, numbered by 10˚; 8-point rose and fleur-de-lys for North; table of towns and latitudes (see history file); elliptical silvered brass hour scale divided V - XII, I - VII, numbered by I. Brass latitude arm in RHS.
Leaf IIb: Silvered brass calendar plate rotating to adjust the elliptical hour scale (possibly once silvered).
Hole in side of lower leaf for pin gnomon.

poor condition, ivory very cracked, metal is bent

References

Events